[54] APPARATUS FOR FORMING HIGH BULK TISSUE ABSTRACT: Apparatus for forming high bulk tissue with a HAVING A PATTERN IMPRINTED THEREON mesh pattern. formed uncompacted web is picked up by a 4 Claims 1 Drawing 8. felt and 15 carried by the felt to a fabric mesh. The web is then earned between the felt and mesh about a series of direction U.S. changing rollers and along through air driers between the rol- 162/206, 1 2/ 2 lei-s. The mesh imprint is imparted to the web at the bends [51] .lllLCl D2lh5/06 around the direction changing rollers, A through air drier Field Search 34/70, 71, directs the flow of drying air through the web and toward the 162/362, 197, 203, 207,296,3031305-306, felt as the web is picked up and brought into contact with the 297, l l i 206 mesh. A series of additional through air driers direct the flow of air through the felt and toward the mesh between the [56] References cued direction changing rollers. The felt then transfers the web UNITED STATES PATENTS from the mesh through an additional drying stage and then 1,178,183 4/1916 Savery, Jr. 162/305 places it on a yankee drier. 2,869,437 1/1959 Hornbostelet a]. 162/306 X SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Apparatus for making high bulk tissue by carrying a web between a felt and fabric mesh about a series of bends and exerting pressure at the bends by bending of the mesh, felt and web to imprint the web with a mesh pattern and subjecting the felt, web and mesh to through drying between the bends, with the direction of air through the felt toward the mesh.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved apparatus for forming a mesh pattern on high bulk tissue by carrying a web between a felt and mesh and subjecting the web felt and mesh to pressure and through drying.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of former for high bulk tissue, arranged with the view toward simplicity in construction and ease and efficiency in operation. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple and improved form of former for soft high bulk tissue in which the efficiency in operation of the former is attained by adhering a soft uncompacted web between a felt and fabric mesh and then subjecting the felt web and mesh to a series of bending actions, all while subjecting the web to through air drying actions with the through flow of air through the felt and web toward the mesh, and utilizing the felt to transfer the web from the mesh and apply the web to a yankee dryer.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The one FIGURE of the drawing diagrammatically illustrates an apparatus for forming high bulk tissue with a mesh printed thereon throughout the length thereof in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION In the embodiment of the invention diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing, I have shown a looped Fourdrinier or forming wire supplied with pulp suitable for the making of an uncompacted web, by a conventional pressure type of head box 11 laying the pulp on the Fourdrinier wire 10 along the top portion of a breast roll 12. Contact rolls 13,13 change the direction of the wire from its forming run to a downwardly inclined pickup run R, where a web W formed on the wire 10 is picked up by an endless felt 15, contacted with the pickup run of the forming wire by a transfer roll 16. The transfer roll 16 may be a conventional form of transfer roll commonly used to pickup or transfer a newly formed web to a felt, and usually has a perforate periphery and a suction area 17 serving to dewater the web and initially apply the web to the undersurface of the felt.

The felt may be a conventional form of felt and preferably is of an open synthetic and lightweight construction. Rollers 19,19 disposed above the wire 10 serve to train the felt 15 from a yankee drier 20 to the transfer roll 16. Rollers 21,22,23 and 24 train the felt about a series of bends, to carry the web between the felt and an endless fabric mesh 25 and apply pressure between the felt, web and mesh in directions to imprint the web with the pattern of the mesh.

The felt 15, as it leaves the bending or direction changing roller 24 passes through a through drier 26, to and around an idler 27 adjacent the drum of the yankee drier 20, for applying the imprinted web to the yankee drier.

The mesh 25 may be an endless fabric mesh of the required mesh pattern to be applied to the web. The fabric mesh can be made from various materials, such as the metal wires used in the construction of Fourdrinier wires, or the polyamide fibers, vinyl fibers, acrylic fibers and polyester fibers sold under the trade names of nylon, Saran, Orlon and Dacron, respectively. The mesh 25 travels about direction changing rollers 29 and 30 along a cleaning run of the mesh and passes through a cleaner 31 between said rollers. The cleaner 31 may be of any conventional form and is no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further. Suitable drive means may be provided for driving the roller 29 and causing the fabric mesh 25 to travel in an endless path around the rollers 30,22,23 and in contact with the roller 24. The drive is no part of the present invention, so need not herein be shown or described further.

In addition to the drier 26, a through drier 32 is provided between the pick-up roll 16 and the roll 21. The arrow indicates the direction of flow of air, which is through the web and toward the felt 15.

Through driers 33,35 and 37 are provided between the respective rollers 21 and 22,22 and 23, and 23 and 24. In there driers the arrows show the direction of flow of air through the felt and toward the fabric mesh 25. Thus, before the web is engaged with the mesh, and as the web leaves the mesh, the flow of air through the driers 32 and 26 is toward the felt to retain the web to the felt and expel the air and moisture out through the web. When the web is carried between the felt and mesh, the driers 33,35 and 37 force the air flowing through the felt and web toward the mesh. This presses the web into engagement with the fabric mesh and sets the pattern of the mesh on the web.

The felt, therefore, pressing the web to the mesh about the roller 21 and the rollers 22,23 and 24, increases the pressure of the web against the mesh as it bends about said idlers to impart a preselected pattern to the web.

Pressure rollers 39 and 40 may be provided to provide pressure nips with the rollers 22 and 23 through which the felt, web and mesh pass as they change their direction of travel about the rollers 22 and 23 to increase the pressure of the web against the mesh. These pressure rollers may be adjustable as indicated by the double headed arrows to engage the felt at preselected pressures, in accordance with requirements for imprinting the pattern of the fabric mesh on the web.

It should be understood, however, that while pressure rollers 39 and 40 have been shown in the drawing, pressure rollers need not necessarily be used and may only be provided under conditions where desirable to provide a deep patterned mesh on the web.

As the felt 15 applies the web to the yankee drier 20 it travels on its return path about the idlers 19,19 to the suction transfer roll 16. The yankee drier 20 is preferably a high velocity drier and may be of any conventional form so need not herein be shown or described further.

It is of course understood that the felt 15 is driven in a continuous path around the rollers 19,l9,16,21,22,23,24 and 27 by a suitable drive connection, which may drive any one of said rollers and is conventional for driving papermaking machine felts.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simplified form of an apparatus has been provided for manufacturing soft high bulk tissue with a pattern imprinted thereon, and that the printing of the pattern is attached by utilizing a felt to pickup an uncompacted paper web from the pick-up run R of the forming wire 10 and train the web into engagement with a mesh fabric having a preselected pattern thereon, and by applying pressure between the web and mesh fabric by the tension of the felt, as it changes its direction about the rollers 21,22,23 and 24, and by subjecting the felt, web and fabric to through drying forces between said rollers.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for forming high bulk tissue having a pattern imprinted thereon,

a Fourdrinier wire having a forming run having an incoming and an outgoing end and a pick-up run forming a continuation of the outgoing end of the forming run,

means laying pulp on the forming wire at the incoming end thereof and forming a web on the wire,

an endless felt,

a transfer roll training the felt in contact with the pick-up run to transfer the formed web therefrom onto the felt,

an endless fabric imprinting mesh,

a first idler training the felt and web to the mesh, to carry the web between the felt and mesh,

a through dryer on the incoming side of said idler and on the outgoing side of the transfer roll forcing air through the web and felt in a direction to apply the web to the felt,

a series of direction changing rolls on the outgoing side of said first idler about which the felt, web, and mesh turn to effect the printing of the web against the mesh by tension of the felt as the web, mesh and felt turn about said direction changing rolls, and

a second through dryer on the outgoing side of said first between two of said direction changing rolls for forcing air through the felt and web toward the mesh.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, including pressure rolls exerting pressure on the felt, web and mesh as the felt, web and mesh pass about said direction changing rolls, a second idler training the felt and web from the imprinting mesh and a fourth through dryer on the outgoing side of said second idler.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, including a Yankee dryer, and

third idler on the outgoing side of the fourth through dryer pressing the web and felt to said Yankee dryer to effect the transfer of the web thereto.